Automatic plow



Oct. 5 1.926.

J. B. DAVIDSON ET AL AUTOMATIC PLOW Filed vJune 16, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l y x Aw a Oct. 5 1926. 1,601,944

` J. B. DAVIDSON ET AL AUTOMATIC PLOW Filed June 16, 1.924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 5 1926. A 1,601,944

J. B. DAVIDSON E1- A1.

AUTOMATIC PLOW Filed June 1e. 1924 '4 sheets-sheet 5 7 ZuJeors Jen; Browneie Davidson,

DarreLZBLucas.

@y f @Wl/1271;

a motor driven plow device of simple,

Patented Oct. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAY BROWNLEE DAVIDSON AND EDGAR V. COLLINS, OF AMES, IOWA, AND DARRELL B. LUCAS, OF NEW BRUNSWICK. NEW JERSEY. ASSIGNORS T IGVVA STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS, OF AMES, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

AUTOMATIC PLOW.

Application filed June 16, 1924. Serial No. 720,360.

of our invention is to provide durable and inexpensive construction for automatically performing all of the various operations Yrequired in plowing successive furrows across a eld.

More specifically it is our object to provide improved means for automatically maintaining a motor driven plow in position to follow the land side of a previously made furrow.

A further object is to provide improved means for reversing the movement of the plow when it approaches-a fence or other obstruction at the end of the field.

A further object is to provide means for automatically moving the device laterally at the end of theiield and after the engine has beerL reversed, to thereby cause the furrow wheel to move from the furrow, in which it originally traveled, to the furrow last made during the progress of the plow across the held.

A further object is to provide improved neans for automatically stopping the driving means or engine in the event that the furrow wheel should move out of the furrow to a predetermined extent.

A further object is to provide means for automatically stopping the motor when the plow comes adjacent to a side fence or other obstruction provided for that purpose.

Our inventio-n consists inthe construction,

The object arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :d

Figure l shows a side elevation of a device embodying our invention, with one of the plows in -a furrow and the reversing mechanism in engagement with a fence.

Figure Q shows a side elevation of same with the reversing mechanism partly tripped to reverse the engine.

Figure 3 shows a similar view with the reversing mechanism -moved to position for reversing, and one of the plows elevated above the ground. The arrow indicates the direction of movement 'of the plow beam and the driving wheels.

Figure l shows a similar view showing Ea further progress of thel reversing movement and also illustrating the relative positions of the supporting wheels for causing the plow to move laterally into an adjacent furrow.

Figure 5 shows a similar view with the movement nearly completed with one of the plows commencing a new furrow, and the supporting wheels in position to enter ther last previously formed furrow.

Figure 6 shows an end elevation of the device inposition for use, one of the plows being removed and the beam shown in section. In this figure the position of the supporting wheels, when bot-h are traveling on level ground. or out ofthe furrowis indicated by dotted lines, as is also the position of the device for cutting o the spark plug circuit when the furrow wheel is out of the furrow, taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 9.

Figure 7 shows -an enlarged, detail, sectional view of the drivingv wheels and axle and connected parts.

Figure 8 shows an enlarged, detail, side view illustrating the means for automatically breaking the spark circuit when the furrow wheel is out of a furrow.

Figure 9 shows a top or plan view of the complete device. rlhe dotted lines show the manner in which the plow moves from one furrow in a transverse direction toward the furrow last made when reversed at the end of the field; and l Figure 10 shows 'an enlarged, detail, Sectional view on the line 10-10 of Figure 9.

Referring tov the accompanying drawings, we have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the driving axle. lKeyed to one end of the axle is a supporting and driving wheel 11, and rotatably mounted on the other end of the axle is a supporting and driving wheel 12. The outer end of the hub of the wheell 12 is formed with a segmental notch V13 withshoulders. 14 at the opposite ends of the notch, and keyed to the axle 10 is a lug 15 normally resting in said notch, and designed to engage said shoulders when the lug is at opposite limits of its movement within the notch.

Fixed to the driving wheel 12 is a large gear wheel 16 in mesh with a small gear pinion 17. This gear pinion 17 is fixed to a shaft 18 on which there is rotatably mounted two beveled pinions 19 and 2O in mesh with a third beveled pinion 21, and slidingly but non-rotatably mounted on the shaft i8 between the beveled pinions is a clutch member 22 designed to engage with a coactingl clutch member 23 on each of the beveled pinions 19 and 20. This sliding clutch member is connected to a bellcrank lever 2li which is operatively connected to a rod 25 by which its movement may be controlled.

The engine proner, which is preferably of the internal combustion type, is indicated generally by the reference numeral 26, and of itself forms no part of our present invention. lt is Vprovided with a driven shaft 27 having a sprocket wheel 28 thereon and connected by the sprocket chain 29 with a sprocket wheel 30 on a shaft 3l, and this shaft 3l is ftiXed to thebeveled pinion 2l, so that during the operation of the engine, the beveled pinion 2l is constantly rotated in one direction, anl the direction of travel of the pinion 17 may be reversed by the manipulation of the rod 25. The engine and gear devices referred to are mounted upon a suitable frame 32 lined upon the bearings which are carried by the main axle lO.

Secured to the main frame 32 are two downwardly extended lugs Bel, and between these lugs there is pivotally mounted the plow beam 35. A brace 36 is connected to opposite portions of the beam 35 and to the top of the engine proper. Mounted on opposite ends of the plow beam 35 are the two plows 37, the points of which entend toward each other.

F or manipulating the rod 25 we have pivoted to one end of the beam 35 a bell crank lever 38, one arm of which lever is pivoted to the rod 25. The other arm of the lever 38 is connected to a contractile coil spring 39, the other end of which spring is connected to the beam 85. These parts so arranged that when the bell crank lever 38 is in one position of its movement, as shown at the left in Figure l, the spring will tend to hold it in that position, and when it is moved to the opposite limit of its movement, the spring will pass the pivotal center of the bell crank lever 38 and tend to hold it in its adjusted posi ion.

Mounted upon vthe opposite end ot the beam 35 is a link 40, and pivotally connected to the bell crank lever 38 and the linlr l0 is a trip arm el, which trip arm is extended beyond the plows and preferably has a downwardly extended portion 42 at each end designed to engage the wires or rails of a fence 43.

The operation of this part of the device is as follows:

Assuming that the engine is operated and the driving wheels are moved in direction toward the fence e3, as shown in Figure l, then when the trip arm el engages the fence, it will be held stationary while the plow ad- This will operate the bell crank lover 38 to overcome the tension of the spring 3( and throw tne lever past center so that the spring 39 will yieldingly hold it in such of the lever v8 will operate the rod to reverse the movement of the pinion 17 through the three beveled gears i9, 2O and 2l and the clutch device interposed between them.

The arrangement of the driving wheels il and l2 on the shaft 10 and the function of the lug l5 is as follows:

During the normal operation of the c chine across the lield and when the driri wheel l2 is in a furrow, one of the shoulders M will engage the lug l5 and drive the shaft l0 and the driving wheel l1 through the en gagement of this shoulder lll with the lug l5, and due to this arrangement the driving' wheel. l2 will advance across the ld slightly in advance of the driving wheel ll, as shown in Figure 2. Then when the movement of the engine is reversed, the driving wheel l2 is free to move a certain predetermined distance before any motion is imparted to the driving wheel l1, and on this ccount the driving wheel i2 will more a considerable distance in advance of the drivwheel 1l, and this will result in causing the plow device to move transversely, as indicated by the dotted lines `in Figure 9. However, this advance movement will only continue for a short time, or until the drive lug l5 engages the opposite shoulder le, as shown in Figure 6, and until the driving wheel l2 engages the land side of the furrow last made. ln this connection, the dotted lines in Figure 9 show the drive wheel l2 in its position just before engaging the land side of said furrow, and when in this position, both the wheels ll and l2 will be positively driven by the engine and the land le of the furrow will offer suflicient resisiv nce so that the plow will straighten out and run parallel with the furrow with the wheel l2 slightly in advance of the wheel ll, tending -to guide the progress of the plow t across the field in astraight line, using the land side of the furrow as the means for keeping it from moving laterally in a direction toward the landside. rlhe fact that the wheel is slightly in advance of the wheel ll prevents the plow from moving` laterally toward the plowed ground.

Furthermore, in this connection attentie is alled to the illustration in which the furrow indicated by the syiin. indicates the one that has just been coirpleted and the furrow indicated by the symbol B indicates the one last ireviously made, the latter extends somewhat farther i the furrow A and the land turned over f the plow at the end of the furrow vi'ills the adjacent portion oit' the 'furrow ll-lenre, when the movement of the plow is 'reversed and power is applied to the wheel position past center, and this movement' 12 in a direction tending to move it ahead of the wheel 11, this wheel 12 will ride upon the land in the furrow 'B that was thrown out of the furrow A by the plow just before its lateral movement from 'the furrow B into the furrow A, so that there will be no difficulty in causing the. wheel 12 to ride over the land side of the furrow at this point.

lt is obvious, therefore, that when the plow ismoved in either direction, the wheel 12 will be slightly in advance of the wheel 11, and will, therefore, have a slight tendency to travel toward the land side but may be steered by the land side of the vfurrow in which it is traveling in a straight line. When the engine is reversed at either end of the field, Vthe wheel 12 will advance a short distance independently of the wheel 11, and hence will move transversely relative to the furrow and out of one furrow invto the furrow last made, and in doing` this,

it will ride over some of the land last removed from the last made furrow, and thrown into the next to the last made furrow, and then when the wheel 12 strikes the lan-d side of the last made furrow, the plow will be directed thereby to travel in a straight line parallel with the land side.

ln this connection attention is called to another characteristic feature of our improvement,whereby one plow is automatically and forcibly moved out of the ground and the other plow automatically and forcibly moved into the ground, and there held when the engine is reversed at the end of the field. rllhe traction wheels are driven through the gear 16 by means of the small planetary pinion 17 which is driven from. the engine. TWhen the plow is in the position shown in Figure 1, the direction of rotation of the small planetary pinion 17 tends to Cause the small pinion 17 to travel downwardlyY and around the pinion 16. itself limits the downward movement but this tendency lreeps the plow to the. left, as shown in Figure l, forcibly held down into the ground and the plow to the right forcibly held up. When, however, the rotation r.. v ,r of the pinion 1( is reversed at the end of the Y fiel-d, then the small pinion 1? will tend to rise upwardly and around the large pinion lo, so that there will be applied to the beam to the left, as shown in Figure 3, a tendency to move upwardly, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, and this movement will be continued, as shown by the arrow in Figure 4, until the plow at the right, (s shown in Figures 3, 4 anl will move downwardly into the ground where its further movement willvbe limited by the plow engaging the bottom of the furrow. By this means the plow is always held firmly in the furrow and at the end of the field the device is Uilted so that one plow moves out of the groundA and the other plow into 'the ground.

' of the However, theplow Vdownwardly extending arms 44, in which is mounted a shaft 45. Pivotally supported on this shaft 45 is a bell cranh lever 45 having one end extended downwardly and support-l ing a ground wheel 47 The other end eX- tends upwardly and rotatably supports a pinion 48. This pinion 48 is formed .with aweight 49 at one side. Fixed to 'the axle 10 is a small pinion 50.

Mounted on the main frame is an electric switch device indicated generally by the numeral 51, and included in the circuit 52 which supplies current to the spark plugs engine. This switch device also includes a lever 53V which is extended to position adjacent to ono face of the pinion 48 in position to be engaged by the weight 49.

The operation of this part of the device is as follows:

'Vhenthe wheel 12 is in a furrow and the wheel 11 is running on the unplowed land, then the wheel 47 will also run upon the land and `maintain a' certain predetermined elevation with relation to the main axle. wWhen, however, the wheel 12 rides` out of the furrow, then the ground wheel 47 will move downwardlyV away from the m-ain axle a short distance by gravity. This movement,

as clearly illustrated by dotted lines in F ure 8, will cause the pinion 48 to be moved into'mesh with the pinion 50 on the axle 10,

and this will cause a rotation of the pinion 48. When this pinion 48 has moved throueh approximately a half circle, the weight 49 will then strike the switch lever 53 and open the switch,` thus cutting olf the circuit of electricity that supplies the spark plug of y the engine. lhen the pinion 4S 1s not in engagement with the pinion 50, the weight 49 holds the pinion 48 in the position shown by solid lines in Figure 8.

When the wheel 12 is out of the furrow, the plow may advance a certain predetermined distance before the engine is stopped by cutting off the electric current. lThen the plow is reversing at either end of the field, and the wheel 12 moves from one furrow to another, the distance of this lateral movement of the plow will be less than the amount of distance of travel required for movingl the weight 49 vto position for operating the switch lever 53. Hence, th-e lengine is not stopped by this device during its r e verging movement at the `end of the field, but it is only when during the normal travel of the plow across the field, the plow should be moved out of the furrow for any reason,

it will travel only a comparatively short distance when the engine is automatically stopped.

lille have also provided means whereby h n the pion/'ing` has been completed across a i'ield to 'tence or other obstruction in the lield at the side thereof trnvard which the plow is advancing' laterally, as tolle vs:

Mounted upon the engine is a plate fl prei'- erably formed with a notch 55, as shown in Figure 10. livoted above this plate is a lever 56 having mounted thereon a spring' actuated pawl 5"? designed to enter said notch. rllliis lever 5G extends laterally to a. considerable distance beyond the side ot tli plow, as shown in Figure 6. lt has it end an arm 58 whichnormally an electric contact device 59 included in the spark circuit of the engine. Hence when this lever 56 is in the position sli. in -ligure '9, the spark circuit is completed through the a' n 58 and the Contact point 59, but when the lever 56 is moved in either dire tion c 'roi' its position as sho-wn in Figure Q contact between the arm an` point 59 is broken. Hence, w end of the lever 56 strikes a any obstruction placed in the il purpose, it will be moved to po terruptine; the spark circuit of in practical use and when it is to plow a field, the engine is starr. plow is manually guided acre s the torni the iirst furrow, or a furrow formed across the field in any desired. manner to serve as a guide. After the lirst 'tur row is formed, then the vdevice will automatically continue to plow parallel terroirs across the field. it the end oi" each i'iurrow, the directionv of travel oi" the driving' wheels will be automatically reversed, and the plow will be moved laterally into the last made tnrrow, one plow will be drawn out oi the ground and the other plow will be moved into the ground.

lt any time during the proe'ross of the plow, it should ove out ot Lhe 'rurrow, the e' ound wheel will be lowered by I@gravity n th relation to the main axle and the spark circuit or the en g'i will be interrupted, thus stoppin@ the engine. llfhen the plowing' et the heid has been completed up to a side 'tence or other obstruction., the spari: circuit will also be aiitomaticall;v interrupted and the engine stopped.

'W e claim as our invention l. ln a device ot the lass described= the combination oi a trame, a driving' wheel for the traine, a prime mover carried by the trame, a beam carried by the trame, tvo plows on opposite ends of said beam extended in opposite directions and so arranged that as the device is advancing in either direction one ot the plows will be in its operative position and the other will be carried in an elevated position, means tor actuating' the driving wheel by power trom the prime mover, said means beine; so arranged and combined that when the prime mover is operating to advance the device in one direction it will tend to hold one oi the plows down and the other up and when advancing in the opposite direction will tend to hold the glows in their opposite positions, a reversing,` device extended in both directions trom the trame and designed to engage a stctirniary n the path ot the trame, and means operated by said reversing device upon engaging an object for reversing the movement ot the prime mover.

2. in a device oi the class described, te combination of a frame, a drivingwheel 'for the Ltr-ame, a prime mov-er carried by the frame, a bean carried by the trame, two plows `on opposite ends of said beam z-rtended in opposite directions and so ar ranged that as the device is advancing in ither direction one oi' the plows vill be in its operative position and the other will be carried in an elevated position, means for acturaftingl the driving wheel by poi-.ver from the prime mover, said means including a gear wheel fixed to the drivingwheel, a pinion driven by the prime mover and in mesh with said gear wheel, said parts being so arranged that when the device is moved in either direction the planetary action ot' the pinion upon the wheel will tend to 'force one plow downwardly and the other upwardly, said means being so arranged and combined that when the primemover is operating toadvance the device in Aone direction it will tend to lhold one oi' th plows down and the other up and .vlien advancing' in the opposite directie will tend to hold the plows in their opposite positions, a reversing` device extended in bolh directions trein the V Err-.mc and designed to engage a stationary object in the path of the trame, and means operated by said reversing device upon engahine' an object 'for reversing the movement ot Ve prime mover.

3. ln a device ol' the c fescri1 l, combination ol' a trame, a drivingl asile, two driving wheels thereon, a prime 'mover for rotating the axle, a reversing' mechanism between the prime mover andthe axle, one of said driving wheels having a limited freely rotatable movement with relation to the axlc,..a reversingy device connected to the reversing nechanism and extendedl torwardly and rearwardly ot the frame.

l. ln a device oi' the class described, the combination ot a frame, a driving axle, two driving wheels thereon, a prime mover tor rotating the aille, a reversing mechanism between the prime mover and the axle, one ot' said driving wheels being rotatably mounted on the axle and having t-wo spaced apart shoulders thereon, and a lug Vil() iixed to the axle and designed to 'engage one or the other of said lugs, al reversing device connected to the reversing mechanism and extended forwardly and rearwardly of the Jframe.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame, supporting wheels for the trame designed to travel in and be guided by a previously formed furrow in the ground, a prime mover carried thereby, means Jfor advancing the `trame by power from the prime mover, a plow device carried by the frame, means for reversing the direction or advance of the trame, reverse control mechanism carried by the frame and projected in both directions beyond the frame to engage a stationary object in the path of the trame, and means actuated upon a reversal of the 'traine driving mechanism for steering the frame laterally on a line slightly divergent from the previously made furrow.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame, supporting wheels for the frame designed to travel in and be guided by a previously formed l'urrow in the ground, a prime mover carried thereby, means for advancing the frame by power from the prime mover, a plow device carried by the trame, means for reversing tl e direction of advance of the trame, a reverse control mechanism carried by the frame and projected in both directions beyond the frame to engage a stationary object in the path of the frame, and means actuated upon a reversal ot the trame driving mechanism for positively steering the frame laterally on a line slightly divergent from the previously made furrow for a limited distance only and then automatically discontinuing the positive steering.

7. In a device of the class described, vthe combination of a driving wheel on the frame, a prime mover carried by the frame, means for rotating the driving wheel. by power from the prime mover, a reversing mechanism between the prime mover and the driving wheel, a rod slidably supported by the frame and extended in both directions beyond the frame to engage a stationary object in the path of the device, a lever connected with said rod, and capable ci' being moved when the rod strilres a stationary object, means connected with said lever for actuating the reversing mechanism when the rod is moved, and a spring for normally holding said lever at either limit of movement past a dead center.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a trame, a furrow wheel and a land wheel for supporting and driving the frame, a prime mover carried by the traine and operatively connected with the said wheels, a switch actuating wheel carried by the frame and designed to advance with the trame in position adjacent to the said Jfurrow wheel, and a switch d-'evice operatively connected with the switch operating wheel and with the prime mover for operating said switch to stop the prime mover when the switch operating wheel is lowered relat've to the furrow wheel as when the furrow wheel mov-es out of the furrow.

9. In a device or" the class described, the combination of a Iframe, two supporting wheels tor the frame, one of which is designed to travel in a furrow, a prime mover on the frame operatively connected with said wheels and capable o t being stopped by the breaking of an electric circuit, an electric switch device capable oi stopping the prime mover when opened, a bell crank lever, a switch operating wheel carried thereby and capable of engaging the land adjacent to the furrow wheel, a pinion carried by the other end of the lever, a weight carried by said pinion and so positioned as to engage said switch device when the pinion has been moved through a predetermined segment, and a pinion driven by the prime mover and capable or" meshing with the pinion on the lever when the switch operating wheel moves downwardly with relation to the furrow wheel.

JAY BROVVNLEE DAVIDSON. EDGAR V. COLLIN DARRELL B. LUCAS. 

